software craftsmanship
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I Still Miss Writing Code
There is a specific kind of quiet I have been thinking about lately. It is late. The office is empty, or the house is finally asleep. There is a problem on the…
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Prompt Patterns Catalog: Decomposition, Exemplar, Constraint
Software developers are familiar with design patterns. The Gang of Four cataloged reusable solutions to recurring problems in object-oriented design. You learn patterns like Strategy, Observer, and Factory not because they are…
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The Quiet Builders: A History of Introverts in Engineering and What AI Means for the Future
Throughout human history, there has always been a place where the quiet ones could excel. A domain where deep thinking mattered more than small talk, where careful analysis outweighed charisma, and where…
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Specify: The Most Important Skill in AI-Driven Development
If you take one thing from this entire series, let it be this: the quality of AI-generated code is bounded by the quality of your specification. No amount of model capability, prompt…
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Code Is for Humans, Not Machines: Why AI Will Not Make Syntax Obsolete
With AI, “everybody is a programmer.” You do not need to learn syntax anymore. Just describe what you want, and the machine will write the code for you. If you have spent…
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The Eternal Promise: A History of Attempts to Eliminate Programmers
When I look back at the history of software, one pattern emerges with remarkable consistency: the promise to simplify software creation, to make it cheaper, and ultimately to eliminate the need for…
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A Love Letter to CoffeeScript and HAML: When Rails Frontend Development Was Pure Joy
The author reflects on the nostalgia of older coding practices, specifically with Ruby on Rails, CoffeeScript, and HAML. They appreciate the simplicity, conciseness, and readability of these technologies compared to modern alternatives…
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Artisanal Coding (職人コーディング): A Manifesto for the Next Era of Software Craftsmanship
Artesanal coding emphasizes the importance of craftsmanship in software development amidst the rise of AI and “vibe coding.” It advocates for intentional, quality-driven coding practices that foster deep understanding and connection to…
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The AI Detox Movement: Why Engineers Are Taking Back Their Code
In 2025, AI tools transformed coding but led developers to struggle with debugging and understanding their code. This sparked the concept of “AI detox,” a period where developers intentionally stop using AI…